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Introduction: I
recently read a book entitled “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy
Andrews. This book is sub-titled “7 Decisions That Determine
Personal Success”. And while this book is not about spiritual
matters, I believe the principles he uses can be perfectly applied
to our lives as Christians. What
I would like to do is share with you 5 of the decisions he
recommends and show how if we make these decisions in our
spiritual life, we will grow more as a Christian and be more
useful to the Lord in His Kingdom and our service to Him. I.
Decision 1: I Will Be A Responsible Christian (“ The Buck
Stops Here”) a.
My Salvation Is In My Hands
i.
While I realize in and of myself there is nothing I can do
to save myself from torment, I accept the fact that if I am going
to go to heaven, it is because of God’s grace and my willingness
to accept His grace by obeying His commands.
ii.
While there may be temptations all around and various
obstacles that Satan will put in my path, I cannot use those as an
excuse for my unfaithfulness. My righteousness is dependant upon
me 1.
Paul told me in Philippians
2:12-13 “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for
it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good
pleasure” 2.
Jesus instructed me to “seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness” and no one can do that for me except
me b.
My Sins Are My Own
i.
I cannot use the line “the devil made me do it”. Or even
“my neighbor made me do it” or my co-worker or my spouse or
anyone else for that matter.
ii.
If I sin it is b/c I choose to sin!
iii.
While I realize “all have sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God” that does not give me the excuse to sin
iv.
I am a child of God and as such I should abhor sin. But when
I sin it is no one’s fault but my own c.
My relationship with God is up to me
i.
I must realize that God is always there. But if I am going
to have a lasting relationship with Him, I must come to Him
ii.
My attitude toward the Word Of God should echo that of the
Psalmist 1.
Psalm
119:105
– “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” d.
Teaching Others The Gospel Is Up To Me
i.
I will no longer wait for others to teach the lost…I WILL
DO IT!
ii.
Spreading the gospel is not the preachers job…it is not
the Elders job…it is not the Deacons job…it is not the job of
the person sitting next to me…it is mine
iii.
Jesus told ME to preach the gospel – Matthew
28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16
iv.
My attitude from this point forward will be “If I don’t
teach them…no one will” [I accept the
responsibility for my salvation. I accept that my sins are my own.
My relationship with God will only be as strong as I make it. If I
don’t teach the lost, no one will. The buck stops here!] II.
Decision 2: I Will Be A Person Of Wisdom (“I Will Seek
Wisdom”) a.
I will not be a person of the wisdom of the world which
leads to destruction
i.
I know that Proverbs
14:12 says “There is a way that
seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death”
ii.
I also know that Proverbs
28:26 says “He who trusts in his
own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered”
iii.
I will not consume myself with the wisdom of the world b.
Rather I will consume myself with the wisdom of God which
leads to eternal life
i.
I will make store Proverbs
2 in my heart (Proverbs
2:1-14)
ii.
And I will remember the promises offered in Proverbs
3
(Proverbs
3:13-26) c.
I will use Godly wisdom in my everyday life
i.
When I decide what to wear each day, I will use Godly wisdom
and adorn myself properly as is fitting a child of God
ii.
Where I decide to go, I will rely upon Godly wisdom to
determine if that is a place where a Christian should go
iii.
When I speak, I will use Godly wisdom to ensure my words are
“seasoned with salt” as Paul instructed in Colossians
4:6
iv.
Everything I do will be done with wisdom gleaned from the
Word of God. 1.
I am a worker who should not be ashamed 2.
I am fully equipped unto every good work [I will not be a person of
worldly wisdom. Rather I will consume myself with Godly wisdom. I
will use wisdom in my everyday life. I will seek wisdom] III.
Decision 3: I Will Be A Happy Person (“Today I Will
Choose To Be Happy”) a.
When people look at me, I want them to see someone who has
a smile on their face and genuinely is happy to be here b.
And why shouldn’t I be?
i.
My sins have been forgiven!
ii.
I am a child of God!
iii.
I have an intimate relationship with the Creator of the
universe!
iv.
I am part of a family that has no number and has no end!
v.
I have a home waiting for me in heaven!
vi.
I have the mind of God to hold in my hand!
vii.
WHY
SHOULD I NOT BE HAPPY?? c.
I want the world to see how wonderful it is be to a
Christian
i.
How can I do that if all they see from me is someone who is
unhappy and always complaining?
ii.
No more! When people look at me they are going to see the
light of Christ shining from me d.
Even when life is hard I will remember…(Matthew
5:3-12) [Starting today, I want
people to look at me and see how happy I am to be a Christian. I
will be happy because I am richly blessed. I will be happy even
when life is hard. Today I will choose to be happy] IV.
Decision 4: I Will Be Persistent (“I Will Persist Without
Exception”) a.
I must understand that Satan will make life hard as I try
to serve God b.
That will not stop me from serving Him. I am persistent
i.
Where “most people” would allow themselves to be
distracted by the world and the temptations of Satan, I AM NOT MOST PEOPLE!!! 1.
I have a goal of going to heaven. I know that Jesus said
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew
6:19-21 2.
I will echo the thought of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14 where he says “Brethren, I do not count myself
to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are
ahead I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus” 3.
I realize that this world is not my home. a.
I am going to be with God one day. I am only here for a
short time. While I am here I will not be brought down to the
level of this world b.
Rather I will raise myself up above the standards of this
world and I will serve the Lord c.
I am going to heaven!
i.
I must overcome Satan’s snare
ii.
I must realize that Satan seeks me as a lion seeks his prey
(I
Peter 5:8)
iii.
But I will never take my eyes off of heaven.
iv.
If I take my eyes off the goal, I will sink into the world
just like Peter sank into the water when he took his eyes off of
Jesus d.
Joshua
24:15 – “And
if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers
served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.” [I understand that Satan
will make life hard. I will serve God regardless. I am not most
people. I realize this world is not my home. I am going to heaven.
I will persist without exception] V.
Decision 5: I Will Be A Person Of Action (“I Am A Person
Of Action”) a.
I will not sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to
act. I
WILL ACT! b.
God has given me talents that I need to use. I will not wait. I will not be
passive.
i.
Jesus told ME to teach the gospel (Matthew
28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16) therefore I will go and do it 1.
I have friends that I know are lost 2.
I have family members who have never obeyed the gospel 3.
I have co-workers who need to hear the truth 4.
I will help them hear the gospel because it is my duty as a
Christian!
ii.
Jesus told me to shine as a light on a hill (Matthew
5:16)
therefore I am going to boldly let people know I am a Christian 1.
I am not going to act ashamed of my Christianity 2.
I am not going to shy away from religious conversation 3.
I am not going to laugh at the dirty joke and act like
everyone else 4.
Rather I am going to stand up for what is right and shine
like a Christian should!
iii.
Peter told me in 2
Peter 1:5-7 to add to my
faith…virtue…knowledge…self-control…perseverance…godliness…brotherly
kindness…and love 1.
I will not wait around and hope these things just happen 2.
Rather I will actively pursue these attributes in my life 3.
I will read about them in God’s word 4.
I will find others who extol these virtues and mimic them 5.
I will grow as a Christian! [I will not sit on the
sideline and wait for other to act. I will not wait. I will not be
passive. Jesus told me to teach…I will teach. Jesus told me to
shine…I will shine. Peter told me to grow…I will grow. I am a
person of action] Conclusion: There
are other decisions we could talk about but I believe that if we
take these 5 and work hard at them, we will see a change in our
spiritual life and our impact on the people around us. But
if you are not a Christian tonight or you are and you have sinned
and separated yourself from God, then I would advise you to start
at the last decision we talked about: be a person of action
tonight! ·
If you need to be baptized into Christ for the remission of
your sins, do it now! Take the action necessary to gain your
salvation. Be baptized! ·
If you have sin in your life, let us pray with you. Confess
your sins, repent of them, and then determine never to do them
again. But whatever you do, take the necessary action to reaffirm
your relationship with God
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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